6 Top Console Based IRC Clients

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a form of real-time Internet text
messaging (chat) or synchronous conferencing. It is primarily a method
of group communication in discussion forms called channels,
but the facility to participate in one-to-one communication is also
available. IRC was invented by Jarkko Oikarinen (known as WiZ) when
he was employed at the University of Oulu, Finland. This system enables
millions of people around the world to communicate in real time.

IRC is an essential way of engaging with the Linux community.
Being able to tap into the wealth of knowledge of individuals logged
into IRC enables users to engage directly with developers and other
users of distributions and applications. IRC is not just limited to
obtaining and giving technical support to others; it can be used for
many other activities.

Users typically connect to an IRC network using an IRC client.
The client takes the raw IRC traffic and turns it into an easy-to-use
interface. The number of Linux IRC clients that are available is rather
daunting. To narrow it to a small selection of clients, this article
focuses on proficient clients that run from the console. The graphical
desktop environment has become so ingrained in almost everyone's
computer activities. However, console-based IRC clients are a good fit;
small, lean clients, that can be run on any hardware, and still make
full use of the power of IRC.

To provide an insight into the quality of software that is
available, we have compiled a list of 6 high quality console based open
source IRC clients. Hopefully, there will be something of
interest for anyone who wishes to engage with the IRC community using
the console.

Now, let's explore the 6 console IRC clients at hand. For each
title we have compiled its own portal page, a full description with an
in-depth analysis of its features, screenshot, together with links to
relevant resources and reviews.